Torrens University PUBH6013: Physical Activity and Wellbeing Report

This report presents a qualitative research study investigating the association between physical activity and wellbeing among young international students at Torrens University, Australia. The research employed a phenomenological approach, utilizing semi-structured interviews with four participants from Myanmar, Nepal, Indonesia, and India. The study explored the positive influences of physical exercise on health, its impact on emotional wellbeing, barriers to participation (such as lack of motivation and social isolation), and the role of educational institutions in promoting physical activity. The findings highlight the participants' positive perceptions of physical exercise benefits, its role in preventing chronic disorders, and the need for institutions to address barriers to participation. The report includes detailed analysis of themes, ethical considerations, and relevant references.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND
WELLBEING
Name of the Student
Name of the University

INTRODUCTION
 While moving to new culturally diverse environment, international
understudies face several problems in getting adjusted.
 Research question- To determine the association between physical
movement and wellbeing and prosperity in youthful international
students.
 Research design- Qualitative research based on the philosophy of
phenomenology (Van Manen, 2016)
 Qualitative research helped in discovering the relationship between
dependent and independent variables (Silverman, 2016)

RESEARCH DESIGN
 Research setting- Melbourne Campus of Torrens University, Australia
 Randomised sampling procedure followed for participant recruitment
(Muhib et al., 2016)
 Helped in selection of participants from a wider population, completely
based on occasion
 Small sample size recruited for conducting qualitative research due to
financial constraints and lack of time
 4 international understudies coming from different nations

RESEARCH SAMPLING
 Mean age group 17-30 years
 Recruitment by contacting participants over telephone
 Participants provided with details about the research, its possible
advantages, and threats (if any)
 Assurance provided for maintaining participant confidentiality (Petrova,
Dewing & Camilleri, 2016)
 Impartial behaviour demonstrated notwithstanding race, gender and
age

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
 Ethical approval obtained from the authorities of the college
 Informed consent for study subject participation
 Opportunity provided to them to withdraw from the investigation
 Opportunity provided for refusing participation at any point of time
 There was no need of providing any explanation for withdrawal or
refusal
 Audio recordings stored at a secure location for maintaining
confidentiality

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
 Semi-structured interview comprising of 7 questions (McIntosh & Morse,
2015)
 Interview guide followed prior to data collection
 Three participants interviewed at a cafeteria
 Two participants interviewed at the college library
 Body language and voice noted while taking responses
 Audio recording done for all response
 Verbatim transcription of the responses, followed by thematic analysis

THEMES
 4 understudies from Myanmar, Nepal, Indonesia, and India
 Shared some resemblances, in relation to their discernments and
philosophies about the impact of physical exercise on their wellbeing
and health
 Several issues are faced due to acculturation
 4 notable themes were developed:
 Physical activity and health
 Physical activity and emotional wellness
 Barriers to participation in physical activity, and
 Role of educational and academic institutions.

THEME 1
 Positive influences of physical exercise on health are
problematic to ignore
 Rhythmic and steady movements that occur in the
body when participants perform physical exercise,
enhance the functioning of the muscles
 It also improves health by reducing risks of suffering
from chronic disorders

THEME 2
 Physical movement and exercise form a critical
aspect of preserving emotional wellbeing and
health
 Exercise releases endorphins or feel-good
chemicals in the human body that plays a
considerable role in elevating the mood
 Exercise is also imperative for providing energy and
reducing amount of stress hormones that released
by the body
 It also facilitates restoring peace of mind
 It improves sleep pattern and boosts the quality of
slumber

THEME 3
 Absence of self-motivation and non-existence of
confidence in self-abilities of leading a physically active
life are the main obstructions
 Acclimatisation to the new environment that is made up
of culturally diverse group of persons causes social
isolation
 Absence of camaraderie from friends and family is
another possible barrier

THEME 4
 Efforts must be taken by educational institutes for
increasing awareness of physical exercise
 It should be made mandatory for all students
 Cultural differences must be resolved for increasing
companionship and support

CONCLUSION
 Understudies held a positive perception about the fact that regular
physical exercise benefits individuals
 Physical activity enhances emotional wellness
 Physical activity prevents chronic disorders
 There are several barriers to participation
 Educational institutes should eliminate the barriers

REFERENCES
McIntosh, M. J., & Morse, J. M. (2015). Situating and constructing diversity in semi-structured
interviews. Global qualitative nursing research, 2, 2333393615597674. https
://doi.org/10.1177%2F2333393615597674
Muhib, F. B., Lin, L. S., Stueve, A., Miller, R. L., Ford, W. L., Johnson, W. D., ... & Community
Intervention Trial for Youth Study Team. (2016). A venue-based method for sampling hard- to-
reach populations. Public health reports. https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fphr%2F116.S1.216
Petrova, E., Dewing, J., & Camilleri, M. (2016). Confidentiality in participatory research: Challenges
from one study. Nursing Ethics, 23(4), 442-454. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0969733014564909
Silverman, D. (Ed.). (2016). Qualitative research. Sage. Retrieved from https
://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=9FALDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Silverman
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Van Manen, M. (2016). Phenomenology of practice: Meaning-giving methods in phenomenological
research and writing. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315422657